As you have noticed many of us have inconsistent tinnitus. Mine fluctuates through out the day and is reactive to other sounds. I get all kinds of tones and noises at different volumes. My diet also affect the T. Sugar and MSG gives me big spikes. Some people start off low in the morning and end high at night. Some people go for days on then days off and then there are the people who have the same noise 24/7.

Yep! I'm one of the lucky 24/7 guys! My problem in the house that I live in, is that if I have something running all night long that makes even the slightest sound, (radio, tv, etc) others in the house can hear it and it keeps THEM awake. Another issue here is that it has to be LOUD enough for me to even hear it. So a TV or Radio must be at least at the 4 or 5 on the volume for me to even know it's on. Headphone type things just don't work. I roll and toss and turn so much that they would strangle me. OH wait!!

I know everyone cringed about the music up to 11 comment. But it's a vicious circle. I just don't know how to get around this. The other thing, I have not noticed THAT increasing my T, I have found that something that is extremely stressful is what will do it for me! As an example, my ex wife (thank God) threw a bottle of wine at me and hit square in the face. 2 days later, my T increased. She kicked me in the chest on another day, the next day I saw a T increase. Screaming episodes would do it, any abuse would make an increase. My reprieve was the music studio.

Now here is another thing. when I am in total silence, my T is the worst. There is nothing to distract me. The T is so loud that I cant read, play a silent game on my computer in the middle of the night, SLEEP, you know. I'm hoping the upcomming Dr. visit will help... :(
Mike

Mike you probably should get a hearing test. If you have hearing loss hearing aids may help with the tinnitus.

Also get an MP3 player. You can put white noise, water noise, anything that helps with the T on there and always have it with you. No one else has to hear it.

I can't even count how many hearing tests I've gone through.
I have mp3 players that I take with me that do the sounds during the day. they do not help at all. Again, to even hear it, I have to have it way too loud.
At night the "other people" problem is still the issue. If there is something under my pillow, it'll end up on the floor in 5 min. If it's close by, it still needs to be to loud. ????

[IMG]http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o46/mikethe454driver/marchingtrombones.jpg[/IMG]
Mike

Mike, yes I had a fleeting "good" day...if I knew what brought them on I'd be the happiest gal in the world. Last year I can honestly say I didn't have any good days, in the last few months I will get some quiet days, the only thing that is different is that I've been taking gabbenpenti so I attribute my good days to that. I didn't want to take anti-d's either, but I am on a very low dose of an old one called amtriptyline. I only meant that sometimes doctors don't have many suggestions about what to do about T, other than to learn to live with it so if you do some research before you go to the doctor you might be able to make some suggestions about what you may want to try and what you won't try. Good luck.
Sue

Cool, I have researched a lot of things, it get's a bit overwhelming, I'm sure you know what i mean, But I have not heard of gabbenpenti, I have heard of amtriptyline, but I heard some of the Side affects are hard to deal with. I don't remember exactly what they were right now...
I am really glad I found this board!!!
Mike

Here is another question, is anyone here a member of "THE ATA" ?
I was looking at these sleep pillows, and it said if I was a member of the ATA I could get a $10 discount. or, free shipping... has anyone used these sleep pillows? how much does the pillow itself muffle the sound? can you hear the sound through it? everything is extreme dealing with me remember...

I'm a member and that sleep pillow is similar to what I use. Let me just say that the sound quality will be quite low but I really enjoy mine. I concentrate on what I'm hearing and fall asleep fast.

COOL! what kind of sounds are you useing? rain, white noise, music? I saw that this is like $50 or $40 if a member.... Or a Vet, mabey I'll get my Vet buddy to buy it for me... he'll probably want one too! So what does being a member do for you? I sat and talked to William Shatner about this back in the old Boston Leagle days, and he wanted me to join then, but my T was better then and I didn't think i was going to degenerate this badly.
Mike

Ha. I listen to NPR all night long. I used to listen to Musicure which is soft music and nature sounds but now I use NPR to put me asleep.

I don't remember everything ATA gives you but I know it gives you access to support group info.

Mike, my T is always at the same screaming intensity, I have 3 different sounds that can change at any moment, sometimes a couple at the same time. A good day for me is all about my attitude to it. Keeping my anxiety down is the biggest thing. I use herbs for that.
Fortunately I have a husband who doesn't mind the sound of white noise going all night, so that lets me get reasonable sleep.
I'm also one of the people who has ear plugs with them all the time. Its crucial to protect our ears from loud noise.

It's really great to actually be in contact with people with this same issue! I've gone a long time all by myself. My friend, the lead guitar player in our band, is a Vietnam Vet, he had a 155 go off right next to him. So he has T also. But it is not anywhere CLOSE to what I have. He is not dysfunctional. But, he understands. So this message board is a breath of fresh air for me!!! Thank You!!!!!!!
It's nice to hear that someone has a supportive family member!!! What would that be like! I'm going to look up NPR today, and see what exactly that is! I can see where $50 of my $400 a month is going....
Mike

NPR= National Public Radio, i feel like such and idiot!
I don't know. what happens if you get interested in something they are talking about? That's what happen when I through in the towel and turn on the TV and watch an old Criminal Minds that is always on, and sure enough, I get interested, (can't sleep anyway) and watch 3 hours of it.
then I can sleep for 10 or 15 minutes.
rmemeber my T is at a 9 volume level, it is white noise at a Bb pitch, the 2nd noise is the exact same thing only closer to left side, (My better side) and it is a very sharp Bb. Not a happy sound.

Yeah NPR and BBC (British Broadcast Channel) are both good. I do get interested in what they are talking about but most segments only last 2 minutes. I can also move my speakers around in my pillow so that they can be harder to hear when I don't want to listen or louder when I do.Perhaps I am odd but I always found it easier to sleep in front of a TV than sleep in a quite bedroom. If I don't have a distraction my mind will race and I wont sleep.

Have you search for a local support group? I visit one every now and then. Sometimes they bring in guest speakers which is really nice. It also makes me feel better to talk to real people who have the same problem.

So did all your hearing test show no hearing loss?

No, i do have a measure of hearing lose also. I have a printout of my audiologist assessment of me.. I'm going to try the radio all night. I need a radio that plugs in rather than battery operation. I'll try low volume at first to see if it helps, then raise it if it doesn't..
I'm doing a search for some local support groups. My social worker is also. I've found a good one that is 75 miles away in deep Orange County, that's just not convenient for me. She says that there is something closer. I'll eventually find one. I found a list of people who head up some of these, I emailed one, but I haven't heard back yet. I have high hopes for this. I think if I am going to survive, I need that face to face contact with others who understand this...